Live from the Breakaway March 17-31, 2024

[YVRteacher]

Winter bumped up against spring today with blustery showers. In a moment of clear skies, the neighbour kids ran across my lawn with their Nerf guns poised and I took a moment to pause at their freedom and joy.

 

My own joy happens in a few days as I embark on the Breakaway for a B2B. This will be a different cruise as I am solo for the first week then have 3 friends (2 from home, 1 from Cruise Critic) joining for the second leg.

 

The last time I was on the Breakaway she was the new, exciting, New York themed ship. We departed from Manhattan in a grey thunderstorm that made the decks incredibly slippery and watered down my Mudslide as we sailed past the Statue of Liberty in darkness. The Rockettes were on board and so was Julie Valeriote. She stopped by Le Bistro on our first night to ask us how we were enjoying the cruise, my dad said something glowing and we received daily treats from her for the rest of the week.  This was during the days of the weekly fireworks at sea, where I (unknowingly) stood on deck under the launching of the fireworks and the inside of my head felt like the 4th of July in Texas. 

 

We went to Bermuda, saw a tornado, my dad caught a cold and snored so loudly I hit him in the head with a pillow. This was the inaugural journey of the notebook I made titled “John’s Complaint Book.” He documents sleeping out on the balcony one night but I’m pretty sure that part is fiction.

It was also the trip where we learned not to take the public bus in Bermuda as it didn’t stop for us.  

 

For those of you who love my dad, here’s today’s dad story:

 

At 2:00am on Sunday March 10 our clocks roll forward in this archaic tradition of controlling daylight hours for the agrarian society in which we no longer live. My dad heard it on the news on Friday and put his clocks forward then. Saturday morning he woke up a little tired and went for breakfast at what he thought was 7:00am. It was actually 6:00am and there were no staff and no food. The front desk concierge told him to go back to bed for another hour.  Poor dad! Yes, he still buys himself one apple fritter a week, still can’t find jeans he likes and enjoys dessert more than the main course. He and I will be cruising together on the Jewel for our annual birthday cruise in six weeks. We went out for eggs Benny today then I took him to Purdy’s to choose his Easter treats since I’ll be away for Easter.

 

On the Breakaway I have a Studio Cabin so there will be no cartwheels. I know this is a  great disappointment to those of you who wanted to see a clumsy, manatee-shaped teacher librarian tumble through the cabin but alas.

I bid on a balcony cabin but the upgrade fairy has not yet blessed my inbox. In the world of cruise ship math where one should always pack twice the underwear one thinks one will need, I just saved myself $620 by not getting the upgrade. 

Upgrade bid of $155 gets doubled for a solo cruiser so that makes $310 and I bid for two weeks. In this kind of new math, this means the spa package is now on the table.

 

Speaking of new math, I am loving my new position. I’ve never loved a job this deeply and I have never worked this hard or had such long hours as this one. The students are phenomenal. Brilliant, bold, curious, voracious readers. At my previous school I usually had about 100 book sign-outs a day. At this school it’s close to 3000 over three days. The staff are the kindest, most caring, patient and amiable people with whom I have worked and I’m so incredibly happy to be there.  That said, the workload is immense and I come home at night zonked. Oh wait, we need the new math tie-in. Here it is:

Hard week+gift card= ostrich

 

Yes, I bought an emotional support ostrich.  Feel free to judge this. I am.

 

As the (carry on only) suitcase gets filled this week I await the barrage of NCL safety videos. So far the only email has been this one

 

 I surmise that NCL continues their budget cutting manoeuvres by writing an email in size .03 font so as not to take up too much paper in this online communication. Oh wait…

 

Our first day on board is St, Patrick’s Day. Good Friday and Easter Sunday also happen and it’s Spring Break.  The ship is full full, not just a little bit full. The difference between full and full full is the amount of kids in the buffet who skip the cone and just hold the self serve ice cream nozzle right up to their waiting open mouth.  As an introvert I sometimes make poor vacation decisions. 

 

On the upside, I made the good decision that seasoned professional cruisers (as opposed to those of us who wish to maintain our amateur status so as to compete in the buffet Olympics which involve such events as elbowing the omelette line budgers, judging those who dodge the washy-washy contingency and finally, avoiding getting a toe run over by a scooter on a mission for white chocolate macadamia cookies) to fly to New Orleans two days in advance of embarkation day.

 

Yes, I have a list and beignets are on it.

 

Happy International Women’s day (yesterday!) This librarian recommends these two gorgeously written and illustrated books

 

Edited March 10 by YVRteacher

[fethiyeden]

Oh wow I’m the first to comment. It’s morning here in Turkey.

Can’t wait for your review, I love them & I have the delights of a b2b.

Glad dad is still loving life in his own grumpy way.

We went on the breakaway from New Orleans last year & spent 5 days seeing the sights beforehand. Beignets were high on our list too.

Have a fabulous time.

[vacation44]

Yeah!    So happy to hear the update on your new job and you are still loving it and your dad is well in his own degree of well.   Also what a surprise we get treated to a b2b this month when I thought we would have to wait for your next Jewel adventure with your dad.

 

As always I will definitely be following along and look forward to reading about your adventures, insight, opinions and experience with your fabulous use of words.

 

Have a great time!

[NikiPinkston]

Yay, another @YVRteacher review! So excited to hear about your adventures. Glad to hear that you love your new job and that your Dad is doing well. New Orleans is one of my favorite places on earth!

Edited March 10 by NikiPinkston

[tcmagnum]

I love the fact that you love your new job!!

I finally bit the bullet after 12 years and left a job that was sucking my soul dry.

(I did love the job the first 10 years, but those last 2 years - put the oreos on the shelf yourself you nasty store manager).

I just hit 5 years at a job I took on a hunch that I would like it and now I'm part owner!!

Love my job.  Love my co-workers.

Life is too short to not love your job (unless the $$ is TONS OF MONEY - Lol).

 

Back to your live review - a B2B??  Sounds wonderful.

Have a good trip to NO and a great cruise/cruise!!!

[we12brich]

My husband and I will be on this cruise on March 17-24. Hubby was born in Quebec. Third time on NCL (first time on Breakaway) and first time taking this route from NOLA. Looking forward to your live review!

[YVRteacher]

7 hours ago, NikiPinkston said:

Yay, another @YVRteacher review! So excited to hear about your adventures. Glad to hear that you love your new job and that your Dad is doing well. New Orleans is one of my favorite places on earth!

Hi Niki! Do you have any must-dos for NOLA? This will be my first time.

[www3traveler]

Hi,

Hope you have a wonderful cruise.

 

I love New Orleans   Thought about moving there several years ago.

 

My two favorite places are: (1) Aquarium and (2) the World War II Museum.  If you are into the history of Mardi Gras, there is the Mardi Gras.

[NikiPinkston]

I second the WWII Museum. If you like history, it is amazing. NOLA actually has some great museums, including the Cabildo and the Presbytére on Jackson Square in the French Quarter, several Mardi Gras museums, a Pharmacy museum, and many others. The cemeteries are also fascinating; St. Louis I in the French Quarter and Lafayette in the Garden District are quite unique. In St. Louis I, you'll take a guided tour and learn about Marie Laveau, the Voodoo Queen (who actually had quite a big heart) and how you (or your family) kind of rent your space in the cemeteries in NOLA.

 

There are also quite a few cute little shops and restaurants around Jackson Square as well as St. Louis Cathedral that dates back to 1794 - it's the big white church that you always see in photos of NOLA. And, for beignets, Cafe Du Monde is right across the street. There is a HOHO bus that will take you all around town and makes stops at all of these places and more.

 

With just a couple of days, I might do the HOHO bus one day and then spend the next day exploring the French Quarter. Royal Street is my favorite but every street in the French Quarter has its delights. If you have time, I'd also highly recommend a tour to Oak Alley Plantation as it's a real, preserved, intact plantation from 1837. 

 

Just a word of warning, because this happened to us: I had read that groups of young men approach tourists and say, “I bet I know where you got dem shoes” and point to your feet. The only correct answer is, “On my feet.” Otherwise, they’ll vigorously press you for money because you "lost the bet!" Other than that, we always felt quite safe walking around the French Quarter.

If you haven't selected a hotel yet, I highly recommend the French Market Inn on Decatur Street as it's a beautiful historic property and centrally located. Whatever you do, you are going to have a wonderful time!

[purpleally]

Happy 💃!  Love your reviews 

[AKR2011]

Welcome back! Thank you for all of your updates and new book recommendations. It's wonderful to hear that your dad is well and your new job worked out great too. I'm excited to follow along on another one of your adventures ❤️⚓️

[debenson0723]

I have been to NOLA several times as a solo female traveler and after one day in or near the Quarter, I head out (via street car) to the Garden District. Get off near the Ponchartrain Hotel (another great place to stay!) and do a self guided walking tour. Many beautiful homes and if you get to Magazine Street, lots of cute shops, galleries and restaurants. You'll also come across Lafayette Cemetary (there are locals there willing to give you a tour for a few dollars) and the famous Commandor's Palace and their Jazz brunch. 

Pre-covid I did a wonderful food tour in the Quarter, lots of tastings and history. Can't remember the name but you should be able to find one via Trip Advisor or Viator. And if you have the time on Sunday morning, the Gospel Brunch at the House of Blues is a fun time (unlimited mimosas and great food). We did manage to do this before boarding the cruise on Sunday...I think it is from 11-1.

I have stayed a few times at the Mercantile Hotel, which used to be an old sugar factory, and is walking distance to the port. I do not walk alone in the city unless it is a very populated area...a few dollars for an Uber is worth piece of mind. 

Looking forward to following your latest adventure. Have a great time!

[fethiyeden]

When we visited New Orleans for 5 days for the 1st time last January we did 2 Free Tours by Foot tours. The garden district & The French Quarter, they were both excellent.

We also bought a Go City pass & did the Adventures in New Orleans bus tour &  the Paddle Wheeler Creole Queen Cruise.

We also visited the Presbytere & The Cabildo.

[willmschen]

Re: the WWII museum. If you go, make sure to start by seeing the video narrated by Tom Hanks. Excellent!

[graphicguy]

Boy...I am so looking forward to another of your reviews....and a B2B, no less!

 

Great news about your Dad and your new gig.  Happy to hear both.

 

And, while it's easy for me to say this now since I retired, I had jobs that paid a lot and were just dreadful.  I left those.  My only regret looking back is I waited too long to do so.

 

 

Edited March 11 by graphicguy

[laudergayle]

Well, the month of March has just become much more enjoyable.  So looking forward to Travel Adventures with Bubbles by YVRteacher.  BTW, loving your support ostrich.  Does he have a name?

[NikiPinkston]

Hi, Yvonne, There are some great ideas here! New Orleans is the kind of place that gets people excited remembering the great times they had there, and I'm sure it will be the same for you. I ran across this link I had saved before one of our visits and it has some good info about things to do in NOLA.

 

https://www.viator.com/New-Orleans/d675

 

I'm excited for you and a little bit jealous!😊

Edited March 11 by NikiPinkston
Typo-oops!

[YVRteacher]

5 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Well, the month of March has just become much more enjoyable.  So looking forward to Travel Adventures with Bubbles by YVRteacher.  BTW, loving your support ostrich.  Does he have a name?

The tag on her butt says Odette but that does not truly capture her dynamic personality.

[YVRteacher]

So my flight times have been changed by the airline six times since booking. There have been a few adjustments that were one or two minutes. There are no direct flights to New Orleans from Vancouver so whichever route I go involves a transfer.

 

My newest situation has me landing at LAX in terminal 2 and the next connecting flight leaving LAX in terminal 3 exactly one hour later.  Is this even possible??? Does anyone know LAX well and will I need to go through security again? At the Vancouver airport we go through security and US Customs before departing on US bound flights.

 

On a scale of couch potato to Olympic sprinter I lean toward the couch potato end so dashing like a gazelle with my carry on luggage is not going to be the speediest endeavour.

[YVRteacher]

I borrowed a stack of New Orleans travel books from the library (of course!) and the first page of the first book said New Orleans isn’t a safe place for women to be alone. I closed that book (way to turn people off, Lonely Planet) and moved on to the book showcasing the history and architecture of NOLA. Now I need to go to the bar with the carousel.

 

I only have one full day so plans include lots of exploring and wandering the French Market, Magazine Street, maybe the art gallery and botanical garden and the French Quarter.

 

The graveyard tour and war museum are not my thing. 

 

Ever the researcher, I found the winner of the world beignet competition (spoiler alert: not Cafe Du Monde) and will be sampling winning beignets for sure. I HATE powdered white sugar so need a powderless beignet. I always rue the day when I order pancakes or waffles and forget to ask if they come doused in sweet powder that gets up your nose.

 

Numerous food walking tours were considered but they all had warnings, “not suitable for vegetarians.”  The doughnut tour is fully booked. You know me; I’ll make my own tour.

[laudergayle]

50 minutes ago, YVRteacher said:

doused in sweet powder that gets up your nose.

And that’s definitely not the look you want as a solo lady in an “unsafe” city🤣

 

1 hour ago, YVRteacher said:

Odette

Aaah, Odette is a lady.  Is she traveling with you?  If so…then, technically, you are not a solo female. 

[NikiPinkston]

Wandering the French Quarter sounds like a great way to spend the day! We haven't tried the other two winners of the beignet competition, but we have visited Cafe Beignet on Royal Street (my favorite street!) several times, and they do an excellent job. I can't speak to being a woman alone as I've always had my bodyguard (DH) with me but, especially during the day, I think you'll be fine if you just exercise the normal precautions. You may already know this, but the good shopping area on Magazine Street is a bit of a hike from the French Quarter, but there's public transportation or uber and the HOHO bus stops there, too. Going to the Botanical Garden you could take the streetcar - that's a fun adventure in itself!

[Lush LaRue]

I loved my visits to NOLA and it has become one of my top vacation spots. One of my to-see’s  (that’s not a bar..erm...) and have visited a few times is the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. Neat little tidbits of historical medical information. Highly recommend for something a little different.

[laudergayle]

12 hours ago, Lush LaRue said:

I loved my visits to NOLA and it has become one of my top vacation spots. One of my to-see’s  (that’s not a bar..erm...) and have visited a few times is the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. Neat little tidbits of historical medical information. Highly recommend for something a little different.

Love NOLA, too.  Our last visit I just didn’t get to the Pharmacy Museum…which was on my to do list.  Guess it’s time to book a cruise down and out of the Mississippi.  

[NikiPinkston]

14 hours ago, Lush LaRue said:

I loved my visits to NOLA and it has become one of my top vacation spots. One of my to-see’s  (that’s not a bar..erm...) and have visited a few times is the New Orleans Pharmacy Museum. Neat little tidbits of historical medical information. Highly recommend for something a little different.

DH is a retired community pharmacist and he loved the Pharmacy Museum!